


Apollo's Lantern

by BreakingSuperLock



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Cancer, Kidlock, M/M, Protective Jawn, Sick John, Sick Sherlock, Teenlock
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-10
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-22 06:46:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3719056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreakingSuperLock/pseuds/BreakingSuperLock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I will be your guardian when all is crumbling. Steady your hand; you can never say never while we don't know it. Time, time, and time again, younger now than we were before. Don't let me go, don't let me go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this with my buddy obsessedwithstabler. Enjoy!  
> Disclaimer: Sherlock belongs to the BBC.

Sherlock Holmes didn't like being sick.

He was only two, but he spent a great deal of time at the hospital receiving chemo, or taking medications at home. At such a young age, he didn't really understand what was going on, but he knew he was very sick.

He didn't speak yet, which caused his family slight concern due to his illness, but he never felt the need to speak.

He was in chemo, sitting in a plush chair in the Pediatric Oncology ward. Nurses watched him, and his mum would pick him up after retrieving his brother from school.

He didn't like chemo, and he didn't really know what it was for or why they had to stick his hand with a needle. He knew that it was supposed to be some kind of medicine, even though it made him feel sick most of the time.

When his session ended for the day, his mum still hadn't arrived to pick him up, and while the nurses had their backs turned, Sherlock climbed out of his seat and wandered around with his stuffed bee tucked under his arm. He saw a blond boy reading and curiously approached him. When the boy didn't look up, Sherlock poked his arm.

The blond boy looked up, startled. The curious toddler waved at him. John's brow furrowed, but he waved back. Sherlock stood on his tiptoes and looked at John's book with interest.

John arched a brow. “Treasure Island.”

Sherlock's eyes lit up as he recognized the title of his favorite book. Without being invited, he climbed onto the small couch, making himself comfortable next to the older boy.

A nurse saw him and came over, frowning. “Sherlock, you aren't supposed to bother the other kids,” she reprimanded gently.

Sherlock shook his head stubbornly.

“He's okay. I don't mind,” John said softly as he turned the page in his book. The nurse sighed, but walked away. Sherlock huffed and rolled his eyes before returning his attention to his new friend.

Noticing Sherlock's longing expression, John asked, “Want me to read out loud?”

Sherlock nodded eagerly and John made more room for the tiny boy. Once they were both settled, he began reading out loud.

Content, Sherlock looked at the pictures as John read to him. He loved Treasure Island and he liked the way John read it. John had read several chapters by the time Sherlock's attending nurse walked toward them.

“Sherlock, your mum and your brother are here to take you home.”

Huffing, Sherlock climbed off of the small couch.

“Bye, Sherlock.”

Sherlock stopped and waved his hand at John as he left.

John smiled and waved back and returned his attention to the book in his lap as Sherlock was escorted out of the hospital by his mother and a young teenager whom John assumed to be Sherlock's brother.

The nurse still stood nearby and smiled at John. “I heard good news, John. Your doctor thinks you're almost better.”

John nodded slightly. He had been in and out of the hospital all year and he had heard those same words once before, nearly four months ago.

“Sherlock has the same type of cancer you do.”

“He does?”

“Yeah. He was diagnosed with leukemia two months ago, just after his second birthday.”

John nodded. “Oh.”

“It's kinda sad. His parents are rich, but they never spend any time with him. They just drop him off and have a nurse watch him.”

John's face fell at that, and as Jackie walked away, his mind hatched a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!

Two days later, Sherlock returned to the hospital for chemo again. Jackie led him to his usual plush seat and he climbed into it, clinging to his stuffed bee as the needle was inserted into the back of his hand. 

John found him five minutes later, a book under his arm. "Hey, Sherlock!" 

Surprised, Sherlock looked up and his eyes lit up when he saw his new friend walking toward him.

John climbed into the oversized chair and settled himself beside Sherlock.

The baby shifted so that he was sitting comfortably with his skinny knees against his chest and his bee next to him, then watched John expectantly.

John tapped on the book before opening it. "We were on chapter four, right?" 

Sherlock nodded and gazed at the page as he contentedly stuck his thumb in his mouth.

By the time John finished the chapter, Sherlock was sleepy, but he yawned and stubbornly stayed awake. John was halfway done with the next chapter when Sherlock's session was over and Jackie removed the needle from his hand, placing a red bandage over it.

John ruffled Sherlock's hair playfully. "He almost fell asleep," he told Jackie with a grin. 

She chuckled. "Sherlock, your parents are going to be late again," she informed.

Sherlock sighed but nodded, stretching out on the large chair.

“You want me to read some more?”

The sleepy toddler seemed to approve of that offer and waited for John to continue reading. 

After John had read two more chapters, Sherlock's mum arrived and signed his paperwork while a boy who appeared to be approximately thirteen approached them to retrieve his brother, looking at John warily.

John returned the scrutinizing stare. "Who are you?" 

“His brother.”

Unconvinced, John looked to Sherlock for confirmation. 

Sherlock nodded. He looked reluctant to leave, but he allowed Mycroft to pick him up and waved at John. 

John returned the wave.

Sherlock flashed a toothy grin and continued to wave as his brother carried him out of sight.

XXX

When Sherlock saw John again, the older boy was feeling unwell and unusually quiet as he sat in his chair. 

Concerned, Sherlock knelt in front of the chair and studied the sick boy closely.

John barely stirred even as Sherlock settled close to him. 

The worried toddler hesitantly poked John's arm and patted his cheek.

John sighed. "Hi..." 

Not certain how to make him feel better, Sherlock offered John his stuffed bee, smiling as he held up the well-worn stuffed animal. 

The gesture touched John and he accepted the bee. He ruffled Sherlock's hair before laying his head back down. 

Sherlock knelt by John's head and quietly raked his tiny fingers through John's hair. John sighed softly and closed his eyes, clutching Sherlock's bee tightly. 

Even though he was very little, Sherlock knew how it felt to be sick. He sensed that John wanted to rest, so he remained still and continued to gently play with John's hair. 

John's nurse came over a short while later. "John? Feeling any better?" 

The nurse offered him a small paper cup of ginger ale. "Try this." 

He reluctantly took the cup and swallowed half of its contents before he returned the cup to her. 

"Good," Jackie praised. "It should help your stomach." She left the cup on the side table and walked away.

To display his own praise, Sherlock patted John's arm.

John managed a small smile and closed his eyes again. "I brought our book, but I'm too tired to read..." 

Sherlock nodded in understanding and draped his tiny jacket over John's chest.

John shuffled over and patted the chair. "You can come up here..." 

Sherlock climbed into the plush chair, easily fitting his small body between John's head and the armrest of the chair.

John welcomed his little friend and closed his eyes again. 

The curly haired boy understood why John was so quiet and he made no attempt to make him speak or move. Instead, he quietly sat with his sick friend.

Eventually John fell asleep again with Sherlock watching intently over him.

XXXX

John was sick for nearly a week before he finally began to recover. After the initial visit, Sherlock had not been allowed to see him and they both balked at that. But as John began to feel better, he knew he would get to see his little friend again soon.

When John was well enough to have visitors, he waited for Sherlock. Sherlock wasn't in his usual big chair, and a commotion could be heard from an open exam room down the hall.

Sherlock was on a bench, screaming and crying as the nurses tried to hold him still. He was kicking and struggling while another nurse was preparing a needle. His stuffed bee was on the floor and he was reaching for it with one hand.

John came rushing through the din and launched himself at Sherlock. "Sher!" 

Still screaming and crying, Sherlock frantically turned his head toward John while still keeping a wary eye on the large needle one nurse held.

"John, do you think you can calm him down?" Jackie asked desperately. "We need to do a bone marrow biopsy."

He nodded vigorously and climbed onto the seat with Sherlock. Without hesitation he pulled the toddler into his arms and hugged him tightly. 

Sherlock's screams started to lower in volume, and he tearfully pointed to his fallen stuffed bee, knowing that John would get it for him.

Understanding lit up John's eyes. He leaned over, balancing Sherlock carefully as he retrieved the lost bee and tucked it into his tiny friend's arms. 

Sniffling and now crying softly, Sherlock clung to the bee with one bruised arm and wrapped the other arm tightly around John's neck.

One of the nurses rolled her eyes. "What a brat."

Jackie frowned. "He's two. Not even out of diapers yet. These tests are rough.”

Brenda snorted as she continued to prepare the needle. Sherlock whimpered and tightened his hold on John.

John had been through multiple tests before and he knew how painful and scary it could be. He directed an evil glare at the rude nurse and hugged Sherlock tighter. "It's okay, Sherlock. When you're done, we'll keep reading Treasure Island. You'd like that, huh?" 

That offer reassured him, and Sherlock allowed the nurses to insert the long needle into his back. He had been numbed, but he still whimpered in discomfort during the procedure until the needle was finally removed.

Jackie cleansed the area and covered it with a bandage. "All done."

Sherlock sighed and relaxed his tight grip on John.

"Good job," John praised his tiny friend. "You did so well." 

A weak smile touched Sherlock's face and he excitedly pointed to the book on the side table.

"I promised I would read to you." He grabbed the book and caught Nurse Jackie's attention. "Can I please have some ice cream?" 

“What flavor?”

"Chocolate, please. And milk?" 

"Of course." She quickly returned with the requested items.

John was very sweet as he took the ice cream and milk. "Thank you," he murmured as he nudged the glass into Sherlock's little hands. 

Thirsty, Sherlock took the glass of milk with both hands and took a small sip.

John was given two spoons and he took a little bite of the ice cream. "Want a bite, Sher?" 

He nodded and grasped one of the spoons, dipping it into the ice cream and scooping out a small bite. He put it in his mouth and grinned.

John nodded approvingly. "Good?" 

The tiny boy nodded vigorously and took another small bite.

"Very good." 

Sherlock grinned as he continued to eat the ice cream until he had enough. He set his spoon aside and took a sip of milk before he watched John intently.

John finished the last of the ice cream and set the dishes aside before snuggling in with Sherlock. Then he opened their book. 

Before John had a chance to begin reading, Sherlock opened his mouth to speak. "Jawn." 

Startled, John looked at his tiny friend. "Hey! You said my name!"

Sherlock grinned widely and nodded.

"Can you do it again?" 

"Jawn!" 

Grinning widely, John pulled Sherlock into a big hug. 

The toddler smiled cheekily as he returned John's tight embrace, winding his small arms around John's neck.

“I'm proud of you.”

John's pride tickled Sherlock even more and he tightened his grasp, smiling wider.

Still delighted, John finally began to read as he kept Sherlock close. 

After John finished two chapters, Sherlock was sound asleep.

John eventually closed the book and let Sherlock curl into his side as he slept.

 

XXXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! The formatting in this one is off and I couldn't fix it for some reason. (edit: it should be fixed now!)

When Sherlock awoke again, he was at home in his own room. He was still small enough to sleep in a crib, even though he had long ago mastered escaping its captivity. He felt sick to his stomach and he started to whine softly. 

It only took a minute for Mycroft to enter the room. "'Lock?"

With a miserable moan, Sherlock sat upright and held his arms out.

Mycroft quickly scooped his baby brother up and held him close.

Sherlock whimpered. "Jawn..."

Mycroft froze and his eyes widened. "What?"

“Jawn.”

"You spoke!"

Sherlock moaned again to indicate his upset stomach.

"Okay." Still stunned, Mycroft carried his tiny brother down to the kitchen and quickly retrieved a clean sippy cup. Then he filled it with ginger ale and urged his brother to take a sip.

Sherlock took a small sip of the ale, still looking ill. Then he set the cup aside. "Jawn."

"It is very late. We cannot go visit John right now."

Sherlock took another tiny sip of ale and huffed. “Jawn.”

“You are very silly.” Mycroft waited until Sherlock was more settled. Then he snuggled his brother in his arms and began pacing around.

Eventually Sherlock became sleepy and yawned loudly as he rested his head on his brother's shoulder. 

"Shh... There's a good lad..."

Sherlock closed his eyes and out of habit, stuck his thumb in his mouth. Minutes later, his breathing evened out, indicating that he had fallen asleep. 

Xxxxxx

The next day, Sherlock was slow and sleepy as Mycroft walked him to the chemotherapy ward while their mum signed Sherlock in. He carried his brother to his usual seat and wasn't surprised to see that Sherlock's eyes lit up when John approached. 

John immediately left his seat and hurried to Sherlock. "Sherlock!"

When John climbed onto the chair with him, Sherlock sleepily leaned against him. "Jawn..."

"He's not feeling well this morning. He was sick last night," Mycroft informed. 

John's face fell and he wrapped a snug arm around his friend. "It's okay, Sher."

Sherlock sighed, and soon a new nurse came to start his chemo. He flinched and whimpered when the needle was inserted too quickly. He was irritable after his rough night and scowled at the nurse. 

Connie frowned. "Kid, don't throw a fit. I've had a busy day," she scolded. 

Sherlock's tiny hand found John's and grasped it tightly. 

John scowled at her. "He's a baby," he snapped.

Mycroft chose that moment to intervene. "Nurse, if you are too rough with my brother, I will inform my father."

"And?"

"My father is Siger Holmes, and I'm sure you know that my parents have contributed a significant amount to this hospital, and therefore they can make a very strong influence."

The nurse paled slightly and shook her head. "Rich brats," she muttered as she walked away. 

"Sherlock, Mum and I will be back to pick you up after school."

Sherlock nodded quietly and sprawled across John's lap. Satisfied that his brother was safe with John, Mycroft left. 

John relaxed as well and reached for his book. "I know you don't feel well, Sher. Do you want me to read to you, or do you want to rest?"

Sherlock tucked his bee against his side and pointed to the book. 

Smiling, John opened their book and found where they had left off.

Sherlock rested his head on John's lap and closed his eyes as he listened intently to the story. 

John absently rubbed Sherlock's arm as he read quietly to his sick, tiny friend.

Sherlock managed to stay awake until John finished the chapter. Then he curled into a ball on John's lap and slipped into sleep. 

Xxx

Later in the week, they had finished Treasure Island and John was reading Swiss Family Robinson to Sherlock when Jackie approached them. 

"John? I talked to Dr. Ellison and he had some good news for you."

John looked up from the book. "What is it?"

"Your cancer is in remission."

“Oh. That’s good.”

She seemed curious about his lack of enthusiasm, but she didn't push him and walked away. Sherlock looked up at John with a smile. 

John returned Sherlock's little smile and resumed reading.

Sherlock yawned, but remained awake as John continued to read out loud to him. 

xxxx

Even though Sherlock's chemo was working, his health seemed to decline. Instead of showing up to the hospital energetic and content, he would arrive sleepy and quiet. As usual, John would read to him. 

One day when John arrived, Sherlock wasn't in his usual seat. 

John looked around. "Nurse Jackie? Where's Sher?"

"He's upstairs in room 221."

John nodded and rushed upstairs. Luckily most of the staff knew him and no one attempted to stop him from entering Sherlock's room.

Sherlock was in a bed that seemed much too large for him while a nurse monitored his blood pressure and administered an IV. 

Even though he was half asleep, Sherlock managed a weary smile when he saw John. 

John sidled up to the bed and grabbed Sherlock's tiny hand.

The nurse glanced at John curiously but didn't say anything. Sherlock squeezed John's hand tightly. 

"Is he... What's wrong with him?" John asked the nurse.

"He developed a high fever last night and hasn't been able to eat without getting sick." 

John looked at Sherlock. "You aren't supposed to do this," he chided lightly as he adjusted Sherlock's blanket.

He smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. 

"A cold could be very dangerous to him now, so we're monitoring him closely," the nurse explained as she adjusted Sherlock's IV. 

John studied Sherlock intently. "But you're helping him, right?"

“Right.”

John pulled himself up onto the bed and watched Sherlock intently. "You aren't allowed to get any sicker, okay?"

“Kay….”

Surprised by his new word, he smiled and squeezed Sherlock's hand protectively.

Once Sherlock was settled, the nurse left them alone. Sherlock yawned and laced his tiny bruised fingers through John's. 

John watched his face intently. "Okay....?"

He nodded weakly and scratched at the IV needle in his arm. 

"Do you want anything?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. 

"Okay." John glanced around. "I left my book in the chemo lounge."

Looking offended, Sherlock pointed his finger toward the door. 

John grinned. "I don't wanna get up. I'm gonna tell you a story instead." Sherlock nodded in approval and John began, squeezing the toddler’s hand tightly.

"Once upon a time, there was an otter and a hedgehog..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated!


End file.
